Location: Start and end in Wompatuck, MA
Ride Type: Trails on Fat Bikes / Mountain Bikes
Date & Time: Saturday, March 11
Distance: As long as you want to ride! Options: 10-40 miles
Price: Free; see NEER membership requirements discussed below after the first ride you do with us
RSVPs: Required, see bottom of page for RSVP form
Details
This is the ride you need it to be for YOU. We’re starting the ride at 10am and riding, riding, riding at Wompatuck! We’re following various routes so there won’t be any repetition, yet we’re staying within Wompatuck. Ride until you don’t want to ride any longer, it’s not far or hard to get back to your car.
Ice/snow: Wompatuck staff have told us as of March 9, there is no ice on the trails and the trails are dry. Should it rain a lot (this would be unexpected but could happen), we would cancel the ride.
Pace
If you can maintain a 14mph average pace on the road (on a road bike) for 2+ hours, you have the fitness you need for this ride. This ride’s pace will be much much less than this (probably more like 6 mph) with the winter clothes, big boots, bigger tires, twisty trails, etc. We’ll regroup periodically.
Start Time
9:55am - Be ready to ride!
10:00am - Safety talk starts, then everyone rolls out
Distance & Estimated Ride Time
The ride is as long as you want to go. 10 miles all the way to 40 miles!
Time: this is up to you. You stop riding when you want to stop riding. We’re out there for the day so start with us then end when it’s time for you to be done.
Parking
Parking is free and ample at the parking lot, we’ll share the exact location with all who RSVP by 7pm the night before the ride.
Route
The route will be emailed to all who RSVP no later than 7pm the night before the ride.
Route Notes
The most important aspect of this ride is to dress appropriately for the weather since it will not be that cold out, so it’s going to be easy to overheat if you overdress (overheating leads to freezing). Wear enough layers so that it’s possible to start warm and then not overheat.
Any mechanical issue that will take more than just a couple of minutes will mean that rider needs to walk out to the car. It’s not that far so it’s not a big deal. The group will try to get you rolling and if it’s not possible, we’ll make sure you know how to get back to the car.
After the Ride
Anyone who wants to hang out and talk about bikes after the ride is welcome to do so. Since everyone is finishing at a different time, we suggest bringing food and drink to enjoy post-ride for when you finish.
Last-Minute Information
We will email all participants with any critical late-breaking news. Very, very last-minute news is found on our Twitter feed (shown on the home page of this website in case you don’t have a Twitter account).
Contact Information
Email - connect@newenglandexpeditionriders.com with questions about this ride anytime 1 hour or more prior to the start of the ride.
CALL US if you need us to know anything just before the ride start or during the ride at 413-461-7433.
Don’t txt if you need an immediate response, all txt msgs go to our email that we aren’t checking if we’re in front of people at the ride or on our bikes.
Riding Rules
All riders are required to read and are expected to abide by These Rules. RSVP’ing to this ride indicates you have read and accept all of the rules. These make the ride safer and more fun for all.
Waiver
NEER requires a signed waiver before your first ride. Please fill it out online prior to your first ride.
If this is your second or more ride with us, our insurance requires that you become a member of NEER.
Proper bike & Equipment
2.25” knobby tires OR BIGGER. Wider tires are nicer! This is a rougher mountain bike area so we suggest 3” tires minimum width regardless of conditions. Tire choice depends on your riding skill set.
Clipless pedals and shoes. These are important elements of bike control. If you are an experienced cyclist who has used platform pedals and sticky shoes extensively, this is acceptable. Note that mountain-style pedals/cleats are significantly better than road-style. We strongly discourage road pedals/cleats on a mixed terrain ride. You can possibly get away with road pedals/cleats on a gravel (dirt road) ride, but not a mixed terrain ride.
A bike that’s in safe working order that is properly lubed and tuned. We’ll ask you to call for a ride or take an Uber home if you have a mechanical situation that will hinder the forward progress of the group by more than a few minutes.
High enough tire pressure to prevent pinch flatting and burping your tires. We recommend about 80% of maximum rated tire pressure. Sometimes this is much too high, ask us if you’re not sure where to set your tire pressure. We like you to have more than enough air for these reasons:
We want to minimize flats on the ride; waiting for someone to change flats is not why we ride. We typically see zero flats on our ride. One of the primary reasons for this is due to higher than average tire pressure.
You can easily take it out, much harder to add it in.
Be sure you have supplies necessary for all common mechanicals including extra derailleur hangers, a multi-tool, quick chain links, tubes, CO2 or hand pump, etc. You are responsible for you and your bike.
RSVP to Participate in this Ride Now!
Please RSVP only after you’ve made sure you can attend. It is inconsiderate to RSVP prior to committing to attending since it affects the experience of the other cyclists in attendance. We understand that things come up last-minute. Be sure to email us if you can’t attend: connect@newenglandexpeditionriders.com.